Can opener



June 26, 1928.

W. COLLINS CAN OPENER Filed Jan. 2, 1924 A TTORNE Y.

Patented June 26, 1928.

WILLIS COLLINS, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

CAN OPENER.

. Application filed January 2, 1924. Serial No. seam.

The invention relates to can openers.

The eneral objects of the invention are to provide a can opener easy to start in operation and to operate, and extremely efiicient in operation and operating without subjecting the operator to the danger of being out by the rough edges of the can. These objects I attainby a novel device of the type wherein a ledge on the can, and more particularly the shoulder formed by the bead on the outside of the can, is used as a fulcrum support for the opener which acts as a lever fulcrumed on said edge just in front of the cutter, thereby permitting the opener to 16 start its operation by the same operation used in cutting, that 1s, by simply swinging it down thus eliminating that extremely objectionable feature of usual can openers, to wit: the initial puncturing of the can either 20 by the cutter or a member associated with it by the vertical pounding or pressing of the cutter or a member associated with it into the can top. Furthermore, since the cutter works downwardly the rough edges are :5 turned into the interiorof the can, thereby preventing any possibility of injuring the operator. Also, since the opener is interlocked with the bead of the can when once started, there is no danger of the opener slipping off the can with possible injury to the operator.

A further object of the invention is to provide a can opener which may be used with equal facility on either round or flatsided cans.

A further object of the invention is to provide a can opener in which the cutting edge of the blade is concavely curved so that a substantially uniform shearing angle is 40 attained.

A further object of the 'lIlVBIlfiiOll is to provide a can opener having its handle portion offset outwardly from the fulcrum point whereby said fulcrum point is automaticall held up against the outside of the can whi e operating the device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a can opener which cuts the top of the can, where the top meets the side wall of the can, and bends the edge which the cut leaves on the inside of the wall of the can downwardly or inwardly against the inside wall of the can so that the entire contents f the can may be removed easily and withu outmutilation, which is of considerable importance with some canned goods, as for instance, sliced fruit, asparagus, salmon, sardines, etc.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a device embodying the invention, showing it 1n cutting position upon a can; Fig. 2 1s a side elevation view similar to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the opener; Fi 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the ine 4 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken on the lme 5-5 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings I have shown a metal can 6 of usual construction with a dished head 7 whose outer edge is rolled with the top edge of the can to form a bead 8, and the outer shoulder 9 formed by this bead is of particular importance to this invention. Practically all cans for preserving vegetables, meats and other food products, and which are opened by cutting out the top of the can, are provided on one end at least with a beaded edge. Hence it will be seen that my can opener, which depends for its operation ppon the shoulder 9, is of general applicaion.

My can opener is a lever having a handle 10 at one end, a bead-engaging means at its other end whereby said lever fulcrums on the shoulder 9 of the can, and a cutter 11 on the lever. The device is conveniently and cheaply made as a single unitary metal stamping, though the handle may be formed of a separate piece, usually of wood, if desired.

To provide the bead-engaging means, I make the end 12 of the opener of generally hook-shaped formation, as by cutting out a recess or opening 13, and the point of the hook provides a bead-engaging part or edge 14, preferably rather sharp, to bit into or firmly engage the outer shoulder 9 of the bead of the can, as will be readily apparent from an inspection of Figs. 2 and 5. The

-opening 13 also provides an operating clearance for the lever.

The cutter 10 is spaced a Short distance in back of the edge 14 and its cutting edge 15 is preferably concavely curved so as to produce a substantially uniform shearing between the cutter and the metal as the cutter moves, whereby the action of the cutter is 110 the era' facilitated. The distance across from the edge 14 to the front edge of the cutter is preferably just large enough to convenient- 1y allow the opener being hooked over the bead when the handle is swung or inclined inwardly toward the can from its normal operative position so that in its operating position the opener is automatically interlocked with the head of the can.

The cutter 10 and the bead-engaging edge 14 are offset lengthwise relative to each other a slight distance, as will be noted in Fig.3, in order that the opener may work astride the beaded edge of the can with the front part 15 of the cutter lade moving against the inner side of the can and the inner end of the edge 14 against the outer side of the can. In the embodiment shown the cutter is offset.

The handle 10 is offset from the blade and bead-engaging part in a direction away from the can by the inclined shank 16 in order to create a bending moment urging the inner edge of the hook adjacent the edge 14 against the side of the can so as to hold the edge 14 up against the head when the operator swings the opener down. It will be noted that as the operator ings the opener down the ti moi, lno bi ng engagement with vdeithe head of the can so the a the c citing stroke this edge provider-i a, tin Ml pini'chase for the opener rela tive to the can so that both the vertical. and horizontal reaction produced by the cutter is taken h e lcruni. Since the opener is thus sir /outed from moving either forward or baclitwardly relative to the headed edge an eiiicieut cutting action is obtained. Furthen more this edge moving as it does along the outer shoulder 9 of the can acts as a guide for the cutter. The portion 17 of the hook is bent out or recessed, as shown so that the device may be used to open cans with straight sides, though for circular cans this offset is not needed. as the opener when operating is disposed substantially tangent to the beaded edge of the can.

With the construction above described, the operator hooks the opener over the head of the can, somewhat above the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2, and without any initial puncturing of the can the downward movement of the opener to the full line position shown in Fig. 2 produces the first cut and then by successively raising the opener and changing or advancing the fulcrum point of the opener around the shoulder 9 of the bead and swinging the opener down for each new position the top is sheared off from the can, not only partially but the top may be actually out out in its entirety with no additional effort in making the last out since the opener takes its purchase on the outside of the can, cuts close to the supported edge of the top and has an operative interlocking connection with the bead facilitatin and guiding its forward movement along t e edge of the can.

The cutter or blade 10 has its operating plane passing through the point formed by the edge 14 and the adjacent side of the hook nearest to the can which causes the cutter to make a out directly toward the fulcrum point and as said point is on the outside bead of the can just ahead of the front edge of the cutter, the cut is directed toward the circumference of the can, resulting in the cutting of the top of the can where it meets the side wall of the can so that with the top completely severed the entire contents of the can may be emptied easily and without danger of mutilation. As the cutter works toward the interior of the can on its cutting stroke, the severed edges 18 and 18' of the top are turned in, as shown in Fig. 4, leaving a smooth part on top, as shown in Fig. 1, where 19 designates an opening in the can, and a substantially smooth surface on the inside of the can at the cut. Thus, the operator is not in danger of being cut by the jagged edges of the severed parts and, furthermore; the offsetting of the handle and the fact that the opener is prevented from slipping off the can while in operation precludes the possi bility of injury tothe operator or ersons who may be near him when operating the device.

I desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to any particular and specific arrangement of parts or combi" nation of parts except in so far such lira-- itations re specified in the clairris or made necessai 1 y the prior art.

What I claim. my ovention is:

1. A can opeer he. mg a cutter and a bead engaging member so as to provide an interlock; between said cutter and headengaging member with the can, said cutter being disposed slightly in back of mem her and having its operating plane passing substantially throu h the Point formed by the can-engaging edge of said member and the adjacent side of said member nearest to the can whereby to cause the cutter to make a out directly toward the can-engaging edge of said member and toward the eircumfen ence of the can.

2. A can opener having a handle and a one-piece cutter and hook efliect offset inwardly from said handle, said cutter being disposed slightly in back of said hook and having its operating plane passing substantially through the point formed by the can engaging edge of said hook and the adjacent side of said hook nearest to the can whereby to cause the cutter to make a. out directly toward the can-engaging edge of said hook and toward the circumference of the can and said hook being spaced from. the front of the cutter a distance to form a snap-on connection with the bead of the can to prevent the opener being detached from the can when in its operative position, said cutter acting on the downward stroke of the handle to sever the can top close to side of the can and the offsetting of the handle causing the cutter to be moved against the side of the can during the cutting operation.

3. A can opener having a handle and a cutter and hook offset inwardly from said handle, said cutter having a concavely curved cutting edge providing a substantially uniform shearing angle and being disposed slightly in back of said hook and having its operating plane passing substantially through the point formed by the can-engaging end of said hook and the adjacent si e of said hook nearest to the can whereby to cause the cutter to make a out directly toward the can-encasing edge of said hook and toward the circumference of the can and said hook being spaced from the front of the cutter a distance to form a snap-on connection with the head of the can to prevent the opener being detached from the can when in its operative position, said cutter acting on the downward stroke of the handle to sever the can top close to the side of the can i and the ofi'setting of the handle causing the cutter to be moved against the side of the 

